in this issue

N’Dour and Keita’s younger distaff counterpart in vocal
brilliance, Oumou Sangaré, rose to stardom in 1990 when she
sold more than a quarter-million copies of her album Moussolou.
Born in the Malian capital of Bamako, Sangaré used the
Wassoulou musical idioms of her family heritage to express the
social and cultural concerns of modern African women. On
1996’s international breakthrough, Worotan [Nonesuch],
Sangaré brought soul-jazz saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and a horn
section into an essentially acoustic mix. The two-CD anthology
Oumou [Nonesuch] includes songs from Moussolou, 1993’s Ko
Sira, Worotan, and the Malian-only 2003 cassette release Laban.
Predominantly featuring kamalengoni (six-string “young person’s
harp”), dejembe (hand drum), flute, and traditional violin, Oumou
has a vibe and tempos that are more contemplative than those of
even the acoustic N’Dour and Keita. But the feminist themes
(sung in call-and-response style), contemporary studio touches,
and generally superb audio separation and definition
belie any oversimplified notion of Sangaré
as a folkloric musician.
Young performers such as 31-year-old
singer/composer Rokia Traore, who takes
Sangare’s social concerns and musical experiments
to the next level on Wanita [Indigo] and
Bowmboi [Nonesuch], and relatively new Amadou & Mariam
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